Carnival raises the curtain on shoreside rehearsal studio

Carnival Cruise Line inaugurated a 44,500-square-foot rehearsal space for its shows in Davie, Florida, near the company's Miami headquarters.

Three years in development, Carnival Studios brings entire bands, casts and technical teams from every ship together for intensive rehearsals as a team, while providing additional opportunities to conceptualize innovative new shows on site. More than 500 entertainers and performers will convene at Carnival Studios to rehearse new shows that are continuously being rolled out across the fleet.

The expansive space encompasses eight dedicated music studios, five full-stage dance studios, a training room, a green room and offices for the line's entertainment department, many of whom will be relocating to the Davie campus.

'Whether it's our elaborate production shows, our popular rock bands or solo artists performing throughout the ship, entertainment is a huge part of the Carnival vacation experience and this spectacular rehearsal space provides us with unprecedented opportunities to develop exciting new choices for our guests,' said Sarah Beth Reno, Carnival's vp entertainment.

Designed as a creative hub for Carnival's entertainment department, all spaces within Carnival Studios have been outfitted with the latest digital sound, lighting and recording technology.

The main theater stages from the ships have been replicated within five full-scale studios. One of the dance studios is equipped with a 480-square-foot LED screen that is an integral part of the line's high-tech Playlist Productions shows, allowing performers to hone their craft with daily interactions with the groundbreaking technology.

The development of Carnival Studios also enables entertainers to work with top-rated talent from Broadway, London's West End, Las Vegas and award-winning partners across the globe in conceptualizing new innovations in shipboard entertainment.

'We designed the space to encourage interaction and engagement between everyone who works on our shows, from cast members and musicians to technicians and backstage crew,' said Chris Nelson, Carnival's senior director of entertainment. 'It is in these sometimes intentional and sometimes impromptu collaborations that the strongest ideas take shape, inspiring synergy and building relationships that last a lifetime,' he added.

In addition to Playlist Productions and live bands that span all musical genres, Carnival's fleetwide entertainment lineup includes the Punchliner Comedy Clubs; Lip Sync Battle, based on the hit SpikeTV show; and Hasbro, The Game Show with larger-than-life adaptations of the company's iconic games. Carnival LIVE, meanwhile, brings top-name musical and comedy acts to perform on board.